Airline Mechanics Alone in Walkout

Union at Northwest Airlines
Appears to Have Alienated
Its Potential Sympathizers

By

Kris Maher Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Updated Aug. 25, 2005 12:01 a.m. ET

The ability of Northwest Airlines to maintain operations in the face of a major strike has much to do with the isolation of its outlier mechanics union, which has alienated potentially sympathetic unions and weakened its clout with management.

The strike by members of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association, which represents 4,400 mechanics, cleaners and ground-support workers at Northwest, hasn't been joined by other...